Opinion: Muslim parents find deep meaning in naming children
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Naureen Choudhry, a community leader in Victoria, Australia, reflects on the importance of naming children within the Muslim faith.
For Muslim parents, selecting a name is a practice extending beyond aesthetics. They believe a name embodies meaning, identity, and hope, and can shape a child’s character. Parents often choose names that honour important figures in Islamic history, such as prophets, family members of Prophet Muhammad, and respected scholars.
Common names for boys include Muhammad, Ali, and Hassan, while girls frequently receive the names Maryam, Fatima, and Khadija. The name “Abdul,” meaning “servant of,” combined with attributes of God, is also popular for boys. These names serve a cultural purpose for Muslims living outside of Muslim-majority countries. They maintain a connection to tradition and earlier generations while also allowing parents to consider ease of pronunciation for those unfamiliar with Arabic names.
Choudhry shares how her own name, Noor-ul-Ain, was anglicised to Naureen for practical reasons when her parents obtained her passport in the United Kingdom. Choudhry recalls a friend expressing the feeling that no name felt worthy of her child, highlighting the weight parents place on this decision. She and her husband also involved their mothers in naming their children, strengthening intergenerational bonds and connecting their children to their heritage.
Ultimately, a Muslim child’s name represents faith, family history, and the parents’ hopes for the future.
